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Seattle Skyline
View from our cruise in the harbor I started this blog sitting in Seatac Airport and am now finishing at home, so it's a bit delayed but my thoughts none the less. As I mentioned in my last post, I wanted to get a different view of Seattle this time around, just for perspective's sake, and I think I have accomplished my goal. Since Liz and I both love the water, we decided to do the Argosy Cruise of the Locks which included the harbor, a view of the various neighborhoods from the water and passing through the locks, which move the boat from the salt water of Puget Sound to the fresh water of the Lake Union area. I have seen the process before from the shore but never actually taken part in this and it was a fun and certainly unique experience. I am not generally one for group tour type of activities, however this being on the water I couldn't resist and I did learn some fun facts and get to experience the locks which is something I otherwise would not have had the opportunity take part in. Here are a few points I learned from the tour guide on the cruise:
1. The
The Locks
From the boat while inside the locks Fremont neighborhood previously mentioned, which she described as Bohemian, has a factory that makes the world's only free trade organic chocolate. I believe the name of the chocolate is Theo's chocolate, alhtough the spelling might be off, sorry! Ballard also has a real rocket fuselage from the Cold War which is mounted on the side of a building in town.
2. Ballard, the Scandinavian neighborhood discussed in my last blog, used to be it's own city until 1907 when they had to join with Seattle due to a water shortage in Ballard. Residents still display signs and bumper stickers protesting the merging of the two cities.
3. During prohibition, there were over 2,000 floating homes which were the place to party. Many were taken by the city and the number was cut down to approximately 500. Today the number of floating homes is on the rise.
4. Yes, we passed the Sleepless in Seattle house boat. If anyone really loves the movie, it just went up for sale at a pretty price of over $3 million, which is actually not the most expensive house boat in the area. The movie was in fact filmed in summer during a heat wave
Drawbridge
A train crossing one of the drawbridges across the canal. (but set in winter) so you can tell the natives from the extras - just look for the people wearing shorts and flip flops.
Other the harbor cruise, we mainly wandered around taking in our surroundings, ate a lot of good food and treated ourselves to a massage at the Robert Leonard Spa, which I must say I recommend. It wasn't super posh, it was clean and friendly and offered a wide array of services. We also dined at an Indian restaurant called Taste of India in the University district which was very enjoyable, especially because we got free wine and dessert somehow! One Wednesday we took the ferry over to West Seattle, where we walked down to Alki Beach, ate at the Alki cafe - they serve breakfast until about 1:30 PM, though we chose lunch that day - and walked up the very steep and winding Admiral Way (it might have been Admiral Street) until we reached the main section of town. I do not suggest doing this walk unless you really want a hike - I believe there are buses as well as easier ways to walk into the center, but it is worth a visit however you get there. Like the other sectors, restaurants, cafes, shops and a few yoga studios are the main attraction on California Ave. The houses throughout west Seattle boast brightly colored gardens that make it a pretty walk whichever route you choose.
So with that said, here are my list of to do's (I wouldn't say must do's but they're my favorites):
- Take some sort of boat through the harbor. The locks tour was quite interesting and it's probably the one tourist thing I'd recommend. They do a dinner cruise which I suspect would also be fun.
Enjoy the city at night - the lit up skyline is very pretty and it's definitely more bustling in the evening.
Visit Pike's Place Market. We didn't see the flying fish, but I did on my previous trip and if you can catch it, it's entertaining and worth standing in the crowd of people.
- Enjoy one of the many coffee shops, which are filled with any type of coffee drink you could want, pastries, sandwhiches and more. For those unfamiliar, Starbucks started in Seattle and the original one is in Pike's Place.
- Attend a sporting event - this is on my "to do" list in any city I visit and I suggest trying to see the sport which the city enjoys the most.
- Tour the neighborhoods. As my sister mentioned, Seattle is really a city of neighborhoods, each with their own center and personality. In addition to the ones I've mentioned (West Seattle, Ballard, Fremont, University District) there is Capital Hill which is the area where "grunge" kind of originated - if that kind of thing can originate in a specific place - Queen Anne's Hill which is the oldest neighborhood, Magnolia known for it's (you guessed it) Magnolia trees and marina and Belltown just a few streets away from Pike's Place and popular as an after work hang out for drinks and dinner.
- Seattle has a lot of festivals and events, many of which focus on food or music. Seattle is particularly known for it's music scene (home to Pearl Jam, Nirvana and Soundgarden to name a few) so take the opportunity to enjoy it if given the chance.
- Some good side trips and activities: Portland, Oregan; Vancouver, British Columbia; Victoria, British Columbia. The latter two require a passport to cross the border into Canada. The San Juan Islands, hiking or other outdoor activities at Mt. Rainer, a trip to one of the local wineries or a day in Tacoma (30 to 40 minutes away) are all good options as well. There are also plenty of options for water activities such as sailing, canoing, rafting and boating. While the city is not on the coast, it is bordered by Lake Union, the Lake Washington Canal, Elliot Bay and the Puget Sound, so you are never far from the water. If you want the beach though, west Seattle is your closest bet - head to Alki.
My final thoughts on visiting Seattle are this: visit in the late spring or early summer. May was a transitional time between the traditional rainy/overcast weather that everyone associates with city and the beautiful summers that are generally sunny with a high of 75 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Five years ago I was there in early August and it was virtually perfect weather. If you do have to go in the fall or winter though, it does not get all that cold - rarely below freezing - and it is not the type of down-pouring rain that will ruin your trip. It is just slightly overcast and drizzly most of the time.
I have pictures up on flickr as well so please enjoy! Would love to hear your comments, thoughts, questions, etc!!
Oh and one correction from my previous post: Jack who requested the smensil is my nephew, not my cousin! Sorry Jack!
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